Rotary engine.



No. 676,220. Patented lune II, [9.0L

A. A. CUMING.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed Oct. 14, 1899.) No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

No. 676,220 Patented lune ll, I90l.

A. A. CUMING.

. ROTARY ENGINE.

HAY-l ama UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED A. CUMING, OF HINGI'IAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart Of Letters Patent N 0. 676,220, dated June 11,1901.

Application filed October 14, 1899. Serial No. 733,558. (No model.)

less flexible carrier to which the piston is fast,

and Fig. 4. an inverted plan of the same. Figs. 5 and 6 are details ofthe gate hereinafter referred to.

My invention is a rotary engine comprising an endless flexible carrierhaving a piston fast thereon, a cylinder provided with a gate forclosing the entrance of the cylinder, a cam located in advance of thepiston and moving with it, a supply-valve for the cylinder, and meanswhereby the cam first causes the gate to be opened and closed as the piston enters the cylinder and then opens and closes the supply-valve.

In the drawings the endless flexible carrier A is supported by wheels atand 1), fast on shafts a b, respectively, which shafts are journaled inbearings in frame 0, and to the flexible carrier A are secured pistons aand also cams a B is the cylinder, through which extends the carrier A,to which are secured pistons a and cams a which are carried in anendless path by carrier A and successively traverse cylinder 13 in onedirection.

At that end of cylinder B at which pistons enter is located a gate D,which serves to close the cylinder at that end and which is slotted atits lower end, as at (1. (See Figs. 5 and 6.) The carrier A movesthroughthis slot (1 when gate D is in its closed position.

Gate-D has mounted on it in slot d an antifriction-roll (P, which isengaged by cams (1 which raise gate D by passing under roll at to permitpiston a to enter cylinder B, and after the piston has entered thecylinder gate D is returned to its normal position and closes theentrance end of cylinder B, as explained below.

The steam or'other agent is admitted to cylinder B into'the spacebetween piston a and gate D and expanding causes piston a to traversethe cylinder and the steam is discharged from the cylinder at the openend thereof. The force exerted on the pistons is transmitted by endlesscarrier A to shaft a, which may be connected in any suitable manner withthe mechanism to be driven, and any number of engines may be connectedwith shaft a, two being shown in Fig. 1. A

slide-valve e located in the steam-chest a is for controlling the porta, leading from steamchest e and the stem 6 of valve c is connected withbell-crank levers e and 6 which lovers 6 and c are connected to plungerse and 6 which are located within cylinder B and occupy positions in thepath of cams a so that the cams move valve 2 first in one direction andthen in the other to open and close valve 6 as will be clear. As one ofthe pistons a with its cam a passes into eylin der B plunger 2 is raisedand lever e operated to move valve 6 and open port 6*, and when port eis thus opened gate D is assisted in its descent by the pressure of thesteam, and when in its lowermost position the steam passes through porte in said gate into cylinder B, port e being closed when gate D is notin its lowest position. After cam a and the piston have passed plunger 2and reached plunger 6 the latter is raised and lever c operated to movevalve 6 and close port 6 after which the expansion of steam in cylinderB acts on the piston untilthe latter is dis charged from the end of thecylinder.

I do not confine myself to the specific means shown for operating thevalve and openingthe gate and cutting off the steam while the gate isopen, for many other ways of accomplishin g these results will beobvious to those skilled in the art without departing from my invention.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a rotary engine the combination ofan endless flexible carrier; a piston fast on that carrier; a cylinder;a gate closing the en'- trance of that cylinder; a cam located in adVance of the piston and moving with it; a supply valve for the cylinderand means whereby the cam first opens the gate then opens thesupply-valve and then closes the supply-valve.

2. In a rotary engine the combination of an endless flexible carrier; apiston fast on that carrier; a cylinder; at supply-valve for thatcylinder; a gate closing the entrancev to the cylinder; means to openthe gate; means to open and close the supply-valve and means to preventthe steam from entering the cylinder until the gate is closed.

3. In a rotary engine the combination of an endless flexible carrier; apiston fast on that ro carrier; a cylinder; a supply-valve for thatcylinder; a gate closing the entrance to the cylinder; means to open thegate; means to open and'close the supply-Valve and means carried by thegate to prevent the steam from entering the cylinder until the gate isclosed. I 5

ALFRED A. GUMING.

Witnesses:

WM. MAYNADIER, I-I. POWERS.

